Ho Chi Minh City Private Shore Excursion: Full-Day Cruise

Seven to twelve hours through colonial landmarks, war history and a working Chinatown, with your guide and a private vehicle.

A private full-day shore excursion from your Ho Chi Minh City cruise port with an English-speaking guide covers the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Saigon Opera House, Ben Thanh Market and Cholon. Lunch is Vietnamese cuisine. Coffee made by traditional filter is included. Pickup and drop-off at the port gate are part of the booking, and all attraction entrance fees are covered.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Saigon Central Post Office30m
2. Reunification Palace1h · entry included
3. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral15m
4. Saigon Opera House15m
5. War Remnants Museum1h · entry included
6. Ben Thanh Market45m
7. Cholon1h

Full-day Ho Chi Minh City highlights tour

• Meet guide at cruise port gate
• Visit Saigon Central Post Office
• Tour Independence Palace
• See Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
• View Saigon Opera House
• Explore People’s Committee Building
• Visit War Remnants Museum
• Shop at Ben Thanh Market
• Discover Cholon Chinatown
• Try Vietnamese coffee making

The experience

Your guide meets you at the cruise port gate and drives you through Ho Chi Minh City's colonial core. The Saigon Central Post Office, built in the late 19th century and designed by Alfred Foulhoux, sits next to Notre Dame Cathedral: a red-brick neo-Romanesque basilica completed in the 1880s with imported Marseille brick and bronze bells that still ring. Both stand in District 1, close enough to visit in sequence. The Saigon Opera House, a restored 800-seat venue from 1897, anchors the same neighborhood at the intersection of Le Loi and Dong Khoi Street.

The War Remnants Museum documents the Vietnam War through photographs, military equipment and vehicles: a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane and a 6,800-kilogram bomb. Reunification Palace, the former seat of South Vietnamese leadership until 1975, preserves the moment the war ended: two original North Vietnamese Army tanks remain parked in the grounds where they crashed through the main gate. The palace holds secret rooms, antique furniture and a command bunker, and still hosts state occasions. Ben Thanh Market, one of Saigon's oldest landmarks, fills with hawker stalls, souvenir vendors and restaurants. The perimeter comes alive at night with wok-fried noodles and grilled fish.

Cholon, Vietnam's largest Chinatown with roots to 1778, shows classical Chinese architecture and restaurants. A stop at a local coffee shop includes the traditional filter method: a slow pour through a metal dripper into sweetened condensed milk. Lunch is Vietnamese cuisine at a restaurant your guide chooses. The tour can run seven to twelve hours depending on how long you spend at each stop and traffic in the city. Your guide adjusts the pace and can skip or linger at sites based on what interests you.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off at the cruise port gate.
• private English-speaking guide.
• entry fees to the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and other attractions.
• Vietnamese lunch.
• traditional Vietnamese coffee made by filter.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day12 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 13:00

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 10 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Maximus Travel Vietnam

Is this one for you?An English-speaking guide narrates the full day, so you follow the history and architecture without needing to read placards or navigate on your own. The private vehicle and flexible itinerary let you adjust stops and timing based on your interests and energy, rather than keeping to a fixed group schedule.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is inside the War Remnants Museum?

The War Remnants Museum displays photographs, military hardware and vehicles used during the Vietnam War between 1945 and 1975, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane and a single-seater attack aircraft. A conventional bomb weighing 6,800 kilograms is also on display.

Can I see the tanks at Reunification Palace?

Yes. Two original North Vietnamese Army tanks that crashed through the palace's main gate in 1975, ending the Vietnam War, remain parked in the grounds and are part of the visit.

What does the Vietnamese coffee experience involve?

You'll learn the traditional filter method, where coffee is poured slowly through a metal dripper into a cup of sweetened condensed milk. This is included as a stop during the tour.

How long does the tour run?

The tour lasts seven to twelve hours depending on how much time you spend at each attraction and traffic conditions in the city. Your guide can adjust the itinerary to match your interests and pace.

What is Cholon?

Cholon is Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown, Vietnam's largest, with roots dating back to 1778. The area features classical Chinese architecture, restaurants and shops, and is a stop on this tour.

Does the tour include lunch?

Yes. Lunch is Vietnamese cuisine at a restaurant your guide selects. The meal is included in the tour price.